Lynley

This summary covers an interview with Lynley conducted by Jac Lynch, which provides a vivid personal narrative of Lynley's life from the 1950s to the 2010s in Auckland, New Zealand. The conversation begins with Lynley reflecting on a carefree childhood on the North Shore before the Auckland Harbour Bridge was constructed. During this time, Lynley spent endless hours playing cricket on the streets, benefitting from little traffic and a tight-knit community.

Lynley had two older siblings and was always inquisitive, a trait they attribute partly to their grandmother's influence, a former dancer with a zest for life. An early exposure to dance came through their mother, who taught ballroom dancing to the local community. Lynley learned to lead in dance, sometimes substituting for absent boys.

Later, Lynley's sporting interests turned to cricket, where they found a passion, although an opportunity to compete in the Rose Bowl Competition was missed due to financial limitations. Despite encountering some barriers as a cricket player, the sport remained a significant part of Lynley's life, even during adulthood and parenthood.

Marriage and children were part of Lynley's journey, as was a subsequent departure from an increasingly untenable situation that eventually led to acceptance of their identity as a lesbian. For a while, Lynley retreated into the closet following negative experiences but eventually found contentment and love after relocating to Wellington in the 1990s. They met Linda through a personal ad and embarked on a relationship that has endured for over 18 years, highlighted by unconditional love and support, especially from Linda's family.

Reconciliation with their own family was mixed, with one brother accepting Lynley’s identity while the other became estranged. The interview also touches upon early indications of Lynley's sexual identity, recalling a childhood attraction to a butch neighbor, which resonated over the years.

Professional life was a varied endeavor. Lynley takes pride in having been the first female and first chalk operator on the floor of the Auckland Stock Exchange. They express a fond memory of that time, inclusive of elements like dressing stylishly and makeup, though in more recent years they have favored a butch presentation.

Throughout their life, Lynley has observed shifts in societal norms, with changes in public servant attire mirroring their own journey to self-comfort in clothing choices. Lynley fondly recounts wearing ties, a symbol of this comfort, and the story of learning to tie a proper Windsor knot from the family doctor.

In summary, Lynley's story encompasses themes of community, family, sports, professional life, identity, and acceptance, providing intricate insights into a singular and evolving life experience across six decades in New Zealand.

This summary is created using Generative AI. Although it is based on the recording's transcription, it may contain errors or omissions. Click here to learn more about how this summary was created.

unidentified voice(s)

1950s, 1960s, 2010s, acceptance, aotearoa new zealand, auckland, auckland stock exchange, ballroom dancing, butch, butch on butch (exhibition/series), catholicism, childhood toys, children, closeted, clothing, cricket, dance, dolls, domestic violence, employment, family, growing up, hallensteins, hockey, jac lynch, karen plummer, lesbian, lipstick lesbian, makeup, marriage, new zealand womans weekly, newspapers, north shore, parents, personal ad (newspaper/magazine), public servant, relationships, robert muldoon, siblings, sport, theatre, ties, transcript online, trust, unconditional love, wellington, whangaparāoa, women, world war 1

artist, attraction, board, bottom, broken, building, bus, change, church, closet, coming up, community, competition, connect, dancing, environment, exhibition, france, friends, fun, hair, high heels, hit, holidays, intermediate school, job, london, love, media, narrative, news, normal, opportunity, other, people, phone book, public service, records, respect, russia, sad, school, servant, shorts, skirt, straight, stuff, support, teaching, the closet, the other side, time, top, transport, travel, work, youth